It’s the media version of speed dating — Big Sky Conference style.

But in this exercise, only the media shuffles around from table to table every few minutes — the coaches and players stay put.

It’s called the Big Sky Football Kickoff — where one coach and two players from each team take part in an organized cattle drive of sorts — do this, pose with that, give us your take on something else.

On Sunday and Monday, that cattle drive returns to Spokane for the second year.

It’s not like media days with the bigger conferences — there are no press conferences, and no Paul Finebaum. At least for the print reporters, it only lasts one day — not three, like in the SEC.

It’s pretty low key here. Area sports writers and other such media spend a few minutes at each table with coaches and players — in addition, Pluto TV and Root Sports folks will also get a few minutes with everyone, under their bright lights.

Pluto TV, for example, will have roughly 6 hours of live interviews on Monday, starting at 9 a.m.

Vandals joining head coach Paul Petrino are senior offensive lineman Noah Johnson and senior defensive back Lloyd Hightower.

Some thoughts as speed dating day — er, the Big Sky Football Kickoff — approaches:

- Idaho had high hopes last fall in its return to the Big Sky for the first time since 1995. The Vandals were picked to finish fourth by the coaches and fifth by the media in the 13-team league. But instead, the Vandals finished 4-7, and tied for ninth in the conference at 3-5.

Petrino said after last season that the Vandals have to be able to tackle better in space, and make more big plays after the catch in order to succeed in the Big Sky, a more wide-open league than the ground-and-pound Sun Belt, where Idaho played the previous four seasons.

So the Vandals know where they have to improve. But have the Vandals addressed those needs? We’ll find out this fall.

- Eastern Washington was the class of the Big Sky last year, and made it all the way to the FCS title game before getting handled by North Dakota State, which won its seventh national title in eight seasons.

But the Eagles bring back quarterback Eric Barriere, who filled in capably when starting QB Gage Gubrud went down with a season-ending toe injury at midseason. Gubrud is now at Washington State, as a grad transfer.

Can Barriere lead the Eags back to the national title game in Aaron Best’s third season as coach?

- Idaho State is coming off a rare successful season. Can the Bengals continue that momentum, with a new quarterback?

- Will the preseason media and coaches polls, set to be released Monday, shed any light on how the league will actually turn out?

The aforementioned Bengals of ISU were picked to finish 12th by the coaches and 10th by the media last year, and instead challenged for an FCS playoff berth, eventually coming up just short and finishing 6-5, 5-3 (tied for fourth) in the Big Sky.

UC Davis was picked to come in 10th by the media and coaches, and instead finished in a three-way tie for the conference title, with EWU and Weber State.

Conversely, Southern Utah was picked to finish sixth by the coaches and media, but staggered home in 12th (1-10, 1-7). And Sacramento State, picked fifth by the coaches and seventh by the media, finished dead last (2-8, 0-7).

- Will the current Big Sky Conference commissioner still be the Big Sky commish a week from now?

Last year at this time, Sky commish Andrea Williams politely held court with the media — then the next day it was announced she had been named the Chief Operating Officer of the College Football Playoff.

Something to keep in mind for this year’s confab.

“Any other questions?”

“Uh, yeah, you wouldn’t happen to be taking another job in the next few days, would you?”

As a reporter, there’s always that one question you forgot to ask at the time.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.